Friday 5

And because I know we all can't get enough. I'm doing this waaaaay too early in the morning. I'll have to type now and then post later. Kiddo doesn't want to sleep so I'm thankful for my 200 plus subscriptions in iGoogle Reader so I have something to read while he WONT sleep. Love my little Benji. Too bad you can't just crate HIM up and get some sleep!

1.Who could be described as a nightmare in pink? Don Johnson

2.How long does it take you to type “The quick red fox jumps over the lazy dog” on your cell phone or computer keyboard? Not long at all... I type about 95 words of minute

3.What item in a plain brown wrapper did you most recently receive? organic bananas

4.Who’s got the loveliest cinnamon skin? Hallie Berry or Jada Pinkett Smith

5.When did you last take a walk in the lonely silver rain? It's been a while since I indulged since I tend to think more of -- those are my favorite shoes and I really dont want to ruin them -- rather than be a spontaneous moment maker -- how sad for me!

I'm linked to: Friday5.org

5 Question Friday

And yet another wonderful meme I've found to help me document this journey I call "life" for my children... It's called 5QF and it stands for 5 Question Friday. I love it because it's simple... I may even go through the archives and use the questions for more blog fodder. :) Gotta love fodder, dontcha?

1. What is your worst memory of your siblings?
I only have a sister (half-sister, we share different fathers though my biological father is really the only one she's ever known her whole life and, in fact, he adopted her when she was ... maybe 5? So, that's definitely "Dad" to her).

The rest of my "siblings" that I call "brothers and sisters" are step-children of my (then) step-parents. And, since neither of my parents are currently married to those people... I guess I shouldn't consider the men/women that were my step-siblings THEN, siblings now, but I do. And, honestly, since they were step siblings, we didn't spent much time together. Therefore, I have no bad memories of any of them.

My sister, however, I wish I could be so lucky. There are many stories I could reflect upon here but I'd have to say that one of -- if not THE worst memories of her that I have has to be the Memorial Day weekend before Andy and I were married. We had a cook-out over here at the house. My sister's husband was in Iraq at the time and she had two children. Knowing she was probably bored and lonely, we invited her and the girls over to enjoy the party. At the time, honestly, I thought my sister and I were getting along quite well.

Andy and I were engaged to be married that June. Life was good. We were there with family and quite a few of our own personal friends.

My sister arrived and basically dumped her "carry only" child on anyone that would hold her and then took off to socialize. Then when I was holding said child in the kitchen, and she was chewing on my 2 carat engagement ring, I made a comment... COMPLETELY IN JEST to the effect, "You better not eat that, I'd hate to have to cut you open to get it back." It was a JOKE. She'd neither eat it any more than I'd cut her open to get it. But if she did, don't think I wouldn't be straining poop for a week until it passed!!! ha! My sister took exception to this and apparently it really set her off. Seemingly from that point on, she proceeded to try to talk about me to people she didn't know (obviously, since they were my good friends that put her in her place about talking about me behind my back.) I feel like, after that, her main objective was to ruin the entire evening. Seriously, she turned into quite a bit#@!

The evening draws to a close and I go upstairs to put Josh to bed. It was quite late and he was tuckered out. Andy, being the exceptional gentleman that he was, chose to help my sister out to her vehicle... as she had two children and two bags of stuff to take back with her.

It was at that point that she proceeded to tell him that I was only marrying him for his money, that I didn't love him, that I only wanted the big ring, the big car, the trip to Hawaii ... blah blah blah.

I came down from upstairs, sat in the living room and was talking to my friend Leann and her date. In walked Andy. He was mad as HELL. He took a deep breath and said (sprinkled with a few expletives), "Your sister is never welcome in this home ever again."

I was clueless as to what had transpired. (Remember? I was upstairs) He calmed down and then told us all. He said the only reason he didn't tell her off was because he was HOLDING HER CHILD while she went off on what a horrible person <<< I >>> was.

Seriously folks, I can't make this stuff up. As such, that's the worst memory I have of my sister.

2. What was YOUR naughtiest childhood memory? (Must be something YOU did, no pawning it off on someone else!)
Lol. This question just cracked me up. I can't really recall being TRULY "naughty." I didn't sneak out. I didn't sneak drinks from the liquor cabinet. I didn't cheat. I didn't do drugs. I didn't curse. I didn't lie. OK, I DID crank call people (oh those were the good ole days, weren't they?) if that even counts? And, frankly, what constitutes childhood? What age is the cut-off? Hmmm.... I honestly have no idea... I remember stealing a training bra from JC Penney on a dare from my best friend. I felt SO horrible afterwards.... seriously, like... eaten up and riddled with guilt!

3. Where do you like to go to relax?
To relax, I like to go to sleep! It's the only place I get any rest at all. And since its so fragmented now, I take it whenever and where ever I can get it! Couch, chair, car, you name it... if I can get some zzzzz's, I will!

4. What was the last thing you won?
I won a BBQ grill at my husband's 20 year high school reunion last June. I listed it on Craig's list for $125. Hey, we already had a grill. I didn't need or want another one.

5. If you could be on a game show, which would you choose?
On Facebook, I currently play Family Feud but their obscure questions kick my butt. I'd LIKE to say Family Feud but I would still suck, I'm sure. I've seen some of the most bizarre game shows coming out. The one with Guy from the Food Network... that's weird. It's so random. Then there's the one with Howie Mandell. That seems painless. Why don't they have game shows anymore with celebrities on them anymore? Like Password, the $25,000 Pyramid, or even... Win, Lose or Draw! I loved that game! Or the one with the Whammy... their contestants were so weird, "NO WHAMMIES NO WHAMMIES NO!!!"

I'm linked to: 5 Crooked Halos

Fill It In Friday!

And...here we go!

1. Salsa, queso, guacamole and tortillia chips are a staple at our house when eating Mexican food. YUM!

2. Wow, it's a sub shop and you've even got mustard. (yeah, that one totally sucked from me didn't it??? That's a hard one!)

3. By the time I get home that playroom better be clean! Man alive how do we accumulate SO MUCH CRAP! Seriously, it's mind boggling how many little pieces there ARE in a box of Legos!

4. Great sales, some "me" time and no waiting in long lines are what I look forward to most when grocery shopping. Just kidding -- Honestly, I don't like grocery shopping that much. It's an evil necessity if we want to do that little thing some in this household consider important -- you know, EAT?!

5. And I was dreaming rhat I was standing in the middle of the classroom completely naked holding a milkshake in one hand and a pink boa was wrapped around my neck. Oh no, wait, that was what was on Cinemax last night! (KIDDING!!!! I don't watch that filth.)

6. Motherhood...is there anything else better?!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Drew's t-ball game and GETTING SOME SLEEP, tomorrow my plans include Josh's last football game (wish me some videotaping karma) AND SLEEP and Sunday, I want to celebrate being a mom at my mother in laws with my mom (and sleep -- are you noticing something I covet?)!

Happy Mother's Day all!

Thankful Thursdays!

It's that time of the week again -- time to remember what all you're thankful for. While I was in my sleep deprived stupor this morning biting off heads, grumbling, unable to even force a smile, starving, ticked off, feeling fat, unmotivated, contemplating canceling the cleaning lady... I realize... Gosh woman, you've still got it made in the shade. What in the WORLD do you have to complain about?

Seriously.... I have a beautiful house, healthy children, a healthy BABY with HEALTHY LUNGS (ha -- talk about a stretch to find THAT silver lining!), a new car, food in our stomachs, food in our pantry, money in the bank, insurance, a hard working husband.... seriously, my blessings are ten fold...

I'm sure it's just the sleep deprive-ed-ness (I like the way it sounded all spread out like that, don't you?) I'm sure but man I woke up in a funk. Time to change that frown upside down...

Thankful Thursday - Here I come... the letter N

• Naps and naptime- ha ha... it's SO fitting today and I SO need one very much!
• Nature - Why I feel compelled to stay indoors doing stuff like cooking and cleaning and boring crap like that when I SHOULD be outside enjoying time with my kids. I guess becuase if I don't do it... it WILL NOT GET DONE. I'm not a fan of a messy, cluttered house but it sure looks that way... and I'm not a fan of eating at 7-8 pm at night but if I were to go out more often, that's surely the time we WOULD be getting around to eating. I'll have to find a healthy balance here.
• Naval - I think Benjamin's little "outie" belly button is SO cute! I'm thankful for it being so cute... because that means he's here!
• Neighborhood - I'm thankful to live in a safe neighborhood with a few people that I really enjoy being around
• Nerds - Face it, without them, we'd all be up a creek! YOU know the one! :)
• New Years! - I love the idea of a fresh start -- it's hard to believe that we're almost 1/2 way through with THIS year already. Unbelievable!
• North Pole - Isn't this the coolest place on earth (no pun intended!) I mean, Santa's house... gotta love it!
• Noodles - I love pasta! That's probably why my butt is so big and I need to shed 20 pounds...but I love pasta... noodles call to me.

So, for now, that's it... what are YOU thankful for?

Blogger quandries

I'm in bit of a quandary... so for all you other blog fanatics out there (like me) that love your blogs and utilize the iGoogle reader to follow them -- tell me something, do you subscribe to the blogs OR do you just follow them?

You see, I'm completely ADD and an overly organized person. I want to know how on EARTH do you stay organized with your blogs if you follow rather than subscribe? If you subscribe you can create topical folders in which to file said blogs. If you follow, you're just stuck with this huge list in the "follow" category. I'm understanding that they can then be filed away but they'll still appear in the follow category too... which is better?

Not all blogs HAVE a place for you TO follow... some ONLY allow you to subscribe certain ways.

How DO you juggle it all if you're anal-retentive-obsessively-compulsively-organized? I mean, I'm not asking for ME... it's for a friend ;)

College bound!!!

I got an e-mail from my friend, Tracey, today that informed me that the people that hadn't paid for their College For Kids registrations were DROPPED today. What does that mean? A TON of classes were freed up!!! Luckily, I was able to get Josh registered for a FULL DAY's worth of classes at College for Kids at Tarrant County College. It's AMAZINGLY wonderful! Now, we didn't get him registered for all the classes either of us wanted but we got him in a triathlon, racquetball, debate, computer animation, pre-algebra plus three others.

He absolutely has been looking forward to this experience since the last day of classes LAST summer and the ability to be able to gift him this experience yet again is just an answered prayer. Besides, what in the WORLD was I going to do that was with him that could be anything as mentally or physically stimulating as this experience? I thank my giving husband for letting this happen for Joshua.

Woo hoo! College bound we are!

Tv shows and reality but not reality TV

I was sitting here nursing Benjamin and scrolling through the TV channels. We recently obtained Verizon Fios and all of our channels have changed. I have no idea where anything is anymore. I selected a "reality" TV show called The World's Strictest Parents. It's where parents with kids that are out of control (teens) are sent to live with STRICT parents so they realize not only how good they have it but also how they need to change.

I was sitting here thinking good grief... it's so bizarre for me to consider that there are parents that have kids in their home that are so out of control that they have to send them to "strict" homes in order for a light to turn on in their narcissistic, selfish little brains that will change their behavior. It's typical.

It's typical of our society. I can't fix it... YOU fix it.

Look at the obesity epidemic. Does anyone want to work hard to get thin? No, they go get gastric bypass. What I don't get is that the repercussions of THAT surgery are life changing. How can they not just make positive changes NOW rather than risk their lives with surgery and then having a "thumb stomach."

There just seem to be so many "fixes" to internal issues... and this program. When I look at the "before" shots of the parents with their kids, the way these parents ARE with their kids... they not only enable them, they don't discipline them. Since when is it your job to be a friend to your child rather than be a role model, disciplinarian and leader for them? How pathetic that people are sending their kids off to look at someone else's life so they can think "you don't have it so bad" only to return to their life. The parents need to go get help too! It's not just the kids that need to change.

One thing that did seem to be a common thread is that there wasn't religion in the homes where the kids were out of control. The homes they sent them to were very faith based homes. Hmmmm.... it's obvious to me that when Christ is the foundation of your home and then you base the rest of the "rules" of your household on His rules that are clearly laid out in His Word and in His Book. Simple.

Why does our government seem so hell bent on taking Him out of EVERYTHING? The LACK of HIM in our world is why it's going down the tubes quite expeditiously! Seriously, the ACLU and the Obama-nation freaks really need to step off. We CHRISTIANS who are the foundation of our country need to stop being so passive. We need to take our country back... BY STORM! Unfortunately, we're the SILENT majority because we're so worried about hurting everyone and being PC that we just get trampled on. It's time we wake up... seriously WAKE UP!